Overactive Let-down w/o oversupply??

[elizaMM]

I posted in Breastfeeding a couple of days ago but am still needing help.

DS fusses while nursing a LOT. I'm pretty sure it mostly has to do with the milk coming too fast and I feel terrible; he's hungry but he can't just eat peacefully, he gets so mad and frustrated. Sometimes he refuses to nurse when he is tired in favor of a pacifier :-(. Its especially bad in the evening or if he is in a bad mood.

If I can catch him when he first wakes up he does okay, maybe his throat is relaxed and he swallows it better. Having his throat up hill from my nipple and side lying don't really help. I can let it flow into a burp cloth but it just drips when he pops off, or if it sprays its just a teeny tiny stream. Sometimes he pops off and fusses and there is nothing coming out.

I don't think I have over-supply, and 2nd and 3rd let downs piss him off, so I don't think block feeding is a good idea.

One strategy that works is using a pacifier to make him sleepy or asleep before i nurse him, but sometimes i don't have the luxury of time to do that, or he doesn't want the pacifier.

Do other people have overactive letdown w/o oversupply? How weird is it that its not even spraying when he comes off? Maybe he just wants it REALLY slow? I've heard they tolerate fast led downs better as they get older. When do they stop hating it? Am I doing permanent damage drowning him when all he wants to do is nurse? I really hate seeing him so upset and feeling like its my fault. Is there anything else I can try?

Please help!

[bandgeek]

I had similar issues with my DS. It does get better I promise! It's possible that it's reflux and not overactive letdown. Since you are not spraying I wouldn't think it's coming too fast for him. Does he choke on it?

The first thing I would do is eliminate anything that could irritate him from your diet. I had overactive letdown and my DS also had reflux. He eventually got used to the spraying, but he didn't quit fussing (or rather, screaming!) until I eliminated dairy.

How old is he?

ETA: ok I see his b-day in your siggy. duh.

If you try an elimination diet and it doesn't get better in a month or so, I'd take him in to see if he has an GI issues.

[DWAXSMOM]

Can you see a LC or go to LLL in your area? Specialists can sometimes see behaviors that indicate one issue or another.

[elizaMM]

Originally Posted by bandgeek

It's possible that it's reflux and not overactive letdown. Since you are not spraying I wouldn't think it's coming too fast for him. Does he choke on it?

could it be reflux even though he is fussy mostly only while feeding?

he does sometimes choke/cough. other times he just screams.

[Carita]

I would definitely check w/a local CLC or someone to get a second opinion. But one think you could try is to massage and manually pump until you get letdown, and then try putting him on after you've released some of that pressure. If it works, you could try slowly cutting back the amt of time you pump beforehand. Also a few months in, my letdown greatly subsided, so its not nearly as strong now as it used to be.

[veganone]

I had that (still do). I have never leaked, but DD had a very hard time keeping up with my letdown and you can see it when I pump. Tons of milk once I have letdown, but only triggered by sucking.

For us, it only really got better with age. Side-laying nursing helped a lot when I could, but it's hard for a while there. I would say she got really good with it by around 6 months, but was better by 4-5 mos.

I think it's also worth looking into reflux - DD has that too, but I can tell the difference which is bothering her. She has a really specific breathing pattern when it's letdown.

They learn to handle it with time... Hang in there, momma!

Oh, and I never did block feeding, since I never had oversupply either...